Grease gun and fitting



June 1, 1943.

W. T. JENNINGS EI'AL GREASE GUN AND FITTING Filed May 17, 1941 All? M r Jew?" Patented June 1, 1943 GREASE GUN AND FITTING William T. Jennings, Medford, and Raymond;

Clark, North Billerica, Mass.

Application May 17. 1941 Se ia o- 394,026 1 Claim. ((1284-17) I W f This invention'relates' to a grease gun and a tion to provide a device of this kind of a portable character and one which can be employed with facility in forcing lubricating grease where desired.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a gun and fiting which when assembled for use is held in efiective working position upon a hearing or kindred element with which the gun is to be used. r

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of theseveral parts of my improved grease gun and fitting whereby certain important advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating a grease gun and fitting therefor constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention and shown in position for lubricating a locomotive rod;

Figure 2 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in top plan of the device as herein disclosed, the plunger arm being in fragment; and

Figure 4 is a view in bottom plan of the gun free of its fitting.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing I denotes the barrel of the improved grease gun and one end portion of this barrel is tapered, as at 2, and having its outer or reduced end continued by an exteriorly threaded extension 3. This extension 3 is at the discharge extremity of the barrel I and the bore 4 of the barrel extends entirely therethrough and through the extension 3. The bore 4 at its end portion thereof remote from the extension 3 is of increased diameter providing at said end portion a stepped inner wall resulting in an internal annular shoulder 5 facing toward the outer end of the barrel I. Snugly engaging Within this outer enlarged portion of the bore 4 of the barrel I is an elongated plunger 6 which has its inserted end portion reduced in diameter so as to have efiective engagement within the inner or reduced portion of the enlarged bore. This reduced part I of the plunger 6 is of a length substantially co extensive in length with the length of the inner reduced part a of the enlarged bore.

The plunger'fi is ofsuch' a length as to extend beyondthe outer end of the barrel I when the plunger 6 is at the limit of its movement. inwardly of the barrel. The outer end portion of the barrel is provided with the outstanding spaced and parallel plates 8 provided with the laterally'extending ears 9 between which is pivoted, by'a pin I0, an end portion of an elongated plunger arm II. This plunger arm II is freely disposed through a slot I2 in the. outer portion of the plunger 6. .The part of the arm II working in the slot I2 is provided with the oppositely directed rounded lugs, I 4 for contact with the opposite end walls of the slotsIZ whereby upon proper swinging movement of the arm II the plunger 6 may be retracted or forced inwardly of the barrel to shoot grease therefrom to the part to be lubricated.

The barrel I adjacent to the lower end of the enlarged portion of the bore 4 is provided with a laterally disposed and relatively large filling opening I5 continued through an outstanding boss I6, When the" plunger 6 is retracted the grease may be placed within the bore 4 of the barrel I to be forced out through the extension 3 when the plunger 6 is moved under pressure inwardly of the barrel I. It is to be noted that the opening I5 is a material distance above the inner extremity of the enlarged portion of the bore 4 so that as the plunger passes inwardly of the barrel I it will close the opening I5 and thereby assure the desired forcing of the grease out through the extension 3.

The extension 3 threads into the central portion of an attaching member or plate I 'I, and this plate I! in its outer face is provided substantially radially thereof with a slot I8 opening through the periphery of the member IT. The side and closed end walls of this slot I8 are undercut or grooved, as at I9, whereby the plate I! may be readily slid upon and interlocked with a fitting 20. The outer extremity of the extension 3 of the barrel I has its periphery smooth, and brazed to this outer extremity is a surrounding washer 2I fitting within a suitable pocket 22 provided in the under face of the member II. This washer 2| provides means whereby the barrel I and member I! are efl'ectively held in assembled relation. The fitting 20 has an end portion 23 rounded and exteriorly threaded so that it can be threaded within a lubricating opening 24 of a part to be lubricated. This fitting 20 can be readily removed or applied as desired.

The bore 25 of the fitting 20 has its outer end reduced to provide an entrance opening 21 registering with the outer end oi the bore 4 through the extension 3 of the barrel I. This reduced portion of the bore 25 provides an inwardly facing valve seat 28 with which coacts a ball valve 29 loosely placed within the inner portion of the bore 25. This ball valve 29 has suflicient movement lengthwise of the bore 25 to allow lubricant to be forced out to the work, but will seat against the valve 28 under the action of any lubricant seeking to escape out through the fitting 20.

The extent of movement of the ball valve 29- away from its seat 28 is limited by a tubular plug 30 threading into the bore 25 of the. fitting 20 and into the end portion of the bore 25 remote from the valve seat 28. This plug 30 has-its wall provided at the inserted end thereof with a'desired number of notches or recesses 3|, each of a size to allow grease to be forced out through the plug ,30.without hindrance by the valve 29when at the limit of its movement as. determinedby the plug 30.

The fitting 20 intermediate its ends is provided withfan outstanding surrounding flange v26 .to provide means to limit. the extent of the insertion of the portion 23 ofthe fitting 20 into the lubricating opening 24 and also to provide a head to be gripped by a suitab1e'tool to facilitate application or removal of the fitting, 20..

In view' of the foregoing. it; is believed to be apparent that my improved grease gun and fitting may be readily applied'andwhen in applied From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a grease gun and fitting constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated.

I claim:

In combination with the discharge end portion of the cylinder of a grease gun, a substantially flat attaching plate surrounding the discharge extremity of the barrel, means for rigidly securing said plate to the discharge extremity part desired to be lubricated.

of the barrel, a tubular fitting to be operatively placed with respect to a lubricating opening, the outer face of the plate being provided substantially radially thereof with a slot open at one end through the periphery of the plate, a part of the fitting being slidable into the slot, said part and the side walls of the slot interlocking, the bore of the barrel and fitting being in registerwhen the barrel and fitting are engaged, the .bore of the fittinghaving an internal valve seat, a ball valve within the member and coactinghwithsaid valve seat to prevent-retrograde flowthrough the fitting, and a tubular plug Within the endportion of the bore of the fitting remote from the valve seat to limit the movement of the ball valve away from the seat, the inserted end of the plug having its wall'provided with notches to allow grease to be forced out through the plug without hindrance by the ball valve when said-valve is at the limit of its movement as determined by the plug.

WILLIAM T. JENNINGS.

RAYMOND F. CLARK. 

